Conservatives set to implement healthcare plans

As the UK General Election comes to a close, it seems likely that PM David Cameron has secured another term for the Conservatives. Labour were seen as the major party for supporting Britain's NHS - so what happens next in the medical sector?

It has to be said, the Conservatives made a significant pledge on R&D investment, with £6.9 billion promised up to 2021. Additionally, they’re getting behind the ongoing drive to deal with the threat of antibiotic resistance, looking to push the recommendations from the O’Neill review.

If we fail to act, we are looking at an almost unthinkable scenario where antibiotics no longer work and we are cast back into the dark ages of medicine. – David Cameron

At the patient side, Mr Cameron promised "a truly seven-day NHS" by 2020. The priority here will be on emergency care in hospitals.

Twitter commentators have been vocal in their concerns for the NHS and patient care since the news that the Conservatives are likely to resume in office - one posted "If there is never a better time to look after your health it's now #GE02015 #NHS".

For Labour, the pre-election pledges were largely focussed around patient care. For instance, training and recruitment were high on the agenda, as were reducing wait times for test results. For Life Sciences though, the most significant change under a Labour government would be the establishment of a Cancer Treatments Fund, opening up access to more modern technologies and treatments.

Mr Cameron's party have previously pushed for further innovation in the Life Science sector, with the appointment of George Freeman, the first Minister for Life Sciences.